Furnace for brick-kilns



(No Model.) 4 2 SheetsSheet 1. G. M. KEEP, FURNACE FORBRIGK KILNS.

No. 401,172, Patented Apr. 9, 1889.

(No Model.) 2 Sh-eetsSheet 2.

O. M. KEEP.

FURNACE FOR BRICK KILNS. No. 401,172. Patented Apr. 9, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT EmcE.

CHAR-LES M. KEEP, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

FURNACE FOR BRICK-KILNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 401,172, dated April 9, 1889. Application iiled August 31, 1888. Serial No. 284,234. (No model.)

Kilns; and I. do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to furnaces for firing brick and other kilns; and it consists in certain improvements in the construction thereof, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, an (1 pointed out in the claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, as follows:

Figure 1 is a top or plan view, with the furnace B in horizontal section, on the line a: in Fig. Fig. 2 is aside elevation, with the side of the furnace broken away to show internal construction. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the furnace.

The purpose, construct-ion, and operation of my invention are as follows:

As the best brick-kilns are now constructed there are permanent furnaces built on each side of the space where the kilns are built, there being two furnaces to each kiln-one at each side. hen the kilns are being filled and emptied, the furnaces are not in operation.

The purpose of my invention is to have portable furnaces which can be moved from kiln to kiln. The result of such an arrangement is that as soon as one kiln is burned the furnaces can be at once removed to a green kiln and putin connection therewith, and thus kept burning all the time. Fewer furnaces are required and no fuel is wasted in cooling off and heating up the furnaces. To accomplish this purpose, I build along the sides of the kilns a railway-track and mount my furnaces on trucks running on said tracks. The furnaces are provided with dues to match the fines of the kiln, so that when a furnace is set opposite a kiln the fines of the furnace will be in conjunction with the fines of the kiln.

There are other minor features of my invention which will be fully described further on.

In the accompanying drawings, A marks one of the side walls of a kiln. B marks one of my furnaces. J marks the truck on which the furnace is mounted, and T the tracks on which the truck is mounted.

The kilns will be built in line and the tracks T will run along each side of the kilns, and there will be as many furnaces on each line of tracks as are wanted.

Each kiln will have a series of lines, a aa, &c., and each furnace will have aseries of fines, F F F, &c., in such. position as to connect with the dues a a of the kiln when the furnace is adjusted in front of the kiln. Each of the dues F F F will have a damper, G, (or the dampers may be in the dues (b,) so that the heat from the furnace may be shut off from any compartment of the kiln desired. This will be a great advantage, because by the proper use of the dampers the kiln can be burned evenly throughout, for if one compartment is found to be advancing faster than another it can be checked.

The furnace I show in the drawings has some peculiarities of construction which are desirable, but are not essential to the main purpose of my invention. The furnace B has a fire-box, C, combustion chamber E, and bridge-wall D. It has an arched top of firebrick, and above that a sheet-iron cover forming an air-chamber, B The bridge-wall D has within it a chamber, (7 and from it airopenings d into the fire-box. A pipe, H, connects the chamber B with the chamber d. Cold air can enter the chamber B through openings such as If, and it will pass to the pipes H, thence to the chamber (1, thence out through the openings (1'. The draft of the furnace will cause the air to flow, as above described, and in its passage it will become greatly heated, and as it comes in contact with the flame and smoke as it passes over the bridge-wall it will greatly aid the combustion.

In Fig. 3 a branch pipe, H, is shown extending from the pipe H. In case the furnace was heated by a hydrocarbon-burner and it was desirable to use the hot air in the burner, the air can be shut off from the bridge-wall by the valve h and taken through the pipe H to the burner. The base of the arched top B sets against plates 12, which are supported by strong springs resting against the fixed plates B The object of this is to allow the arch to expand when heated without danger of fracturing it.

What I claim as new is- 1. A brick-kiln plant comprising a number 5 of kilns having each a series of fines opening through its walls, and a portable furnace having a series of fines corresponding with the kiln-fines and arranged to be separably connected with the latter, substantially as and 10 for the purpose described.

2. An improved portable furnace for brickkilns of the kind herein described, provided with a hollow bridge-Wall opening into the fire-chamber, an air-chamber above the fire- 15 chamber, and with pipes connecting the air- CHAS. M. KEEP.

Witnesses:

JNo. K. HALLOGK, S. D. DOBBINS. 

